Worship Song Sunday -- The Solid Rock, by Avalon -- And a lesson....

"So then, everyone who hears My words and puts them into practice is like a wise man. He builds his house on the rock. The rain comes down. The water rises. The winds blow and beat against that house. But it does not fall. It is built on the rock. But everyone who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man. He builds his house on sand. The rain comes down. The water rises. The winds blow and beat against that house. And it falls with a loud crash."  ~ Matthew 7:24-25, NIRV

I'd like to share my lesson notes from a  church sermon a few weeks ago, when one of our pastors preached on Matthew 7:24-29 -- Jesus' story of the wise builder and the foolish builder -- because of how it correlates to today's hymn.

Pastor Jared pointed out how the two builders were similar -- both were trying to construct something...a house that would perhaps be a legacy for their children, and their children's children, etc.  And apparently, both builders were affected by the same storm. 

He went on to tell how they were different -- the wise man took his time building his house, while the foolish man built his in haste.  Both built on different foundations -- one on a strong, firm foundation of solid rock; and the other on a weak, shaky foundation of sand, and where they built revealed the quality of the building, especially when a horrific storm came along.  

The wise builder took into account that storms WOULD come down the road, and he prepared accordingly. Jesus said that when the rains came, the waters rose and the winds beat against his house, it did not fall.   

But the foolish builder did not take into consideration the possibility of storms coming his way and therefore did not prepare his house adequately. Jesus said that when the rains came, the waters rose and the winds beat against his house, it fell with a loud crash (v. 27).  

Pastor Jared said that Jesus was comparing the wise builder to those who knew Him, heard His words and acted on them.  He compared the foolish builder to those who live as if God does not exist (Psalm 14:1- 'The fool says in his heart, "there is no God."'), hearing His words, but not putting them into practice.

Lesson learned from this sermon and this Scripture:

**Our best time to lay foundations is BEFORE the storms come -- not during, when we're so scared, confused and unfocused we're totally paralyzed; and not after, when it's much too late and we're left standing amid the rubble of our lives.   We must be prepared and ready.

Jesus has a promise, found in verse 25, for those of us whose hearts belong to Him:

For a life built on the Solid Rock of Jesus, no matter what happens to shock us, rock us or knock us down we can stand firm, with our faith remaining strong and secure.

May we be mindful today, as we gather together to worship our Lord, and every day, of the kind of life we are constructing, and on what kind of foundation we've chosen to build.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' Name.

On Christ, the soid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

You're My Only Hope

Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro:
He bustles about, but only in vain;
he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.
But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in You. ~ Psalm 39:6-7

You can watch the news on TV, listen to it on the radio, read it in the newspaper or have it pop up as a feed to view from your computer, iPhone or iPad, thereby becoming privy to way too many stories of people all over the planet who find themselves suffering in hopeless situations. But really, you don't even have to go that far....just look around you in your own little world. Those in need of help, healing and hope are right under your nose -- people in your neighborhood, at your school or office, sitting next to you at church (church?? Does this shock you? It shouldn't)....maybe even in your own family. People who perhaps have no relationship with Jesus whatsoever, who think He's merely a figment of someone's overactive imagination or a character in a child's fairy tale.  Or people who've had a relationship with Jesus, but over the years, for whatever reason, have let that relationship fall by the wayside.  Maybe, the one in need of help, healing and hope.....is you.

Doctors hand you a frightening health diagnosis...but they just can't seem to find the proper treatment for it.  You've lost your job due to downsizing and day after day, you fill out online applications and send out your resume to everyone under the sun....and everyday, you're met with silence.  A lifelong dream is shattered....and there doesn't seem to be enough glue in the world to piece it back together.  You watch as people in your life seem to have blessing upon blessing rain down upon them....yet you feel continually bombarded by storm after storm, and the light at the end of the tunnel has become just a lame cliché for you.  You feel....hopeless.

You hate your life and you feel like packing it in and giving up.  Maybe you already have.  In your anger and doubt and fear and despair, you've turned your back on your First Love and walked away from Him for a time.  Perhaps for a very long time. But you've found that life without Him isn't what you thought it would be. You're confused and ashamed and guilt-ridden.  Like a runaway, prodigal child, you feel you can't ever come home.  Yet you couldn't be further from the truth.

While scrolling through my emails on Sunday afternoon, I came across one from DaySpring, the Christian greeting card company.  In the email were two very short devotional thoughts, each with a Scripture verse from DaySpring's cofounder and writer, Roy Lessin.  Below is the one I was immediately drawn to and would like to share with you here:

There is hope...

You can turn back to God,
because He has not turned His back on you.

You can hold on to God,
because He has not released His hold on you.

You can love God again,
because He has never stopped loving you.

I have formed you, you are My servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me! I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, And like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you. Isaiah 44:21-22

What an encouragement!  Yes, there is hope. No matter what we've done or said, no matter how far we've strayed or where it is we've come from, the Lord's love for us is available, unconditional and unfailing.  He is an endless fountain of mercy, grace and forgiveness.  And though you may not think so or feel it, you are firmly in His grip. Like the father in the parable of the prodigal son, our Lord waits for us, searching the road for a glimpse of us, His beloved children, ready to welcome us into His arms. We are NOT beyond redemption. He is our Rock and our Refuge.  He is our strong tower and our firm foundation.  He is our Anchor.   All hope is found in Christ alone.  

In the movie, Star Wars, there's a scene in which Princess Leia is in dire need and reaches out to  Obi-Wan for help.  She tells him, "This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope!"  In our most desperate hour, in our most desperate moments, Jesus is our ONLY Hope.  In church on Sunday, our worship leader told us this:  "With Christ in our life, there is endless hope. Without Him in our life, it's a hopeless end."

Don't give up. Come to Jesus.  There IS hope in Him. Believe it. 

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone;
my hope comes from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation;
He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God;
He is my mighty rock, my refuge. ~ Psalm 62:5-7

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand ~ In Christ Alone, by Natalie Grant